A St. Joseph man made his first court appearance Monday in connection with the murder of his 81-year-old grandmother.

Michael Ray Courter, 40 was charged Friday with a felony for second-degree murder in connection with Clyda Spurgeon’s death.

According to court documents, sometime between 8 p.m. April 28 and 8 a.m. April 29 Courter is accused of hitting Spurgeon repeatedly with a hammer he borrowed from her. The Buchanan County Prosecuting Attorney’s office said she died after being hit in the head multiple times with a blunt object.

A preliminary hearing was set June 3 at 10 a.m. Courter remains behind bars on $250,000 cash only bail.